The evangelist having, in the foregoing chapters,
given us a specimen of our Lord's preaching, proceeds now to give
some instances of the miracles he wrought, which prove him a
Teacher come from God, and the great Healer of a diseased world. In
this chapter we have, I. Christ's cleansing of a leper, ver. 1-4. II. His curing a palsy and
fever, ver. 5-18. III. His
communing with two that were disposed to follow him, ver. 19-22. IV. His controlling the
tempest, ver. 23-27. V.
His casting out devils, ver.
28-34.

The Leper Healed.

1 When he was come down from the mountain, great
multitudes followed him. 2 And, behold, there came a leper
and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me
clean. 3 And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched
him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was
cleansed. 4 And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man;
but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that
Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

The first verse refers to the close of the
foregoing sermon: the people that heard him were astonished at
his doctrine; and the effect was, that when he came down
from the mountain, great multitudes followed him; though he was
so strict a Lawgiver, and so faithful a Reprover, they diligently
attended him, and were loth to disperse, and go from him. Note,
They to whom Christ has manifested himself, cannot but desire to be
better acquainted with him. They who know much of Christ should
covet to know more; and then shall we know, if we thus
follow on to know the Lord. It is pleasing to see people so
well affected to Christ, as to think they can never hear enough of
him; so well affected to the best things, as thus to flock after
good preaching, and to follow the Lamb withersoever he goes.
Now was Jacob's prophecy concerning the Messiah fulfilled, that
unto him shall the gathering of the people be; yet they who
gathered to him did not cleave to him. They who followed him
closely and constantly were but few, compared with the multitudes
that were but followers at large.

St-Takla.org Image:
Healing the leper - from "Illustrations of the Life of Christ", "From Christ in
Art"; & "The Gospel Life of Jesus", artwork by Alexandre Bida, publisher: Edward
Eggleston, New York: Fords, Howard, & Hulbert, 1874

In these
verses we have an account of Christ's cleansing a
leper. It should seem, by comparing Mark i. 40, and Luke v. 12, that this
passage, though placed, by St. Matthew, after the sermon on the
mount, because he would give account of his doctrine first, and
then of his miracles, happened some time before; but that is not at
all material. This is fitly recorded with the first of Christ's
miracles, 1. Because the leprosy was looked upon, among the Jews,
as a particular mark of God's displeasure: hence we find Miriam,
Gehazi, and Uzziah, smitten with leprosy for some one particular
sin; and therefore Christ, to show that he came to turn away the
wrath of God, by taking away sin, began with the cure of a leper.
2. Because this disease, as it was supposed to come immediately
from the hand of God, so also it was supposed to be removed
immediately by his hand, and therefore it was not attempted to be
cured by physicians, but was put under the inspection of the
priests, the Lord's ministers, who waited to see what God would do.
And its being in a garment, or in the walls of a house, was
altogether supernatural: and it should seem to be a disease of a
quite different nature from what we now call the leprosy. The king
of Israel said, Am I God, that I am sent to, to recover a
man of a leprosy? 2 Kings v.
7. Christ proved himself God, by recovering many from
the leprosy, and authorizing his disciples, in his name, to do so
too (ch. x. 8), and
it is put among the proofs of his being the Messiah, ch. xi. 5. He also showed
himself to be the Saviour of his people from their sins; for though
every disease is both the fruit of sin, and a figure of it, as the
disorder of the soul, yet the leprosy was in a special manner so;
for it contracted such a pollution, and obliged to such a
separation from holy things, as no other disease did; and therefore
in the laws concerning it (Lev.
xiii. and xiv.), it is treated, not as a sickness, but
as an uncleanness; the priest was to pronounce the party clean or
unclean, according to the indications: but the honour of making the
lepers clean was reserved for Christ, who was to do it as the
High Priest of our profession; he comes to do that which the
law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,
Rom. viii. 3. The law
discovered sin (for by the law is the knowledge of sin), and
pronounced sinners unclean; it shut them up (Gal. iii. 23), as the priest did the leper,
but could go no further; it could not make the comers thereunto
perfect. But Christ takes away sin; cleanses us from it, and so
perfecteth for ever them that are sanctified. Now here we
have,

I. The leper's address to Christ. If this
happened, as it is here placed, after the sermon on the mount, we
may suppose that the leper, though shut out by his disease from the
cities of Israel, yet got within hearing of Christ's sermon, and
was encouraged by it to make his application to him; for he that
taught as one having authority, could heal so; and therefore
he came and worshipped him, as one clothed with a divine
power. His address is, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me
clean. The cleaning of him may be considered,

1. As a temporal mercy; a mercy to the
body, delivering it from a disease, which, though it did not
threaten life, embittered it. And so it directs us, not only to
apply ourselves to Christ, who has power over bodily diseases, for
the cure of them, but it also teaches us in what manner to apply
ourselves to him; with an assurance of his power, believing that he
is as able to cure diseases now, as he was when on earth, but with
a submission to his will; Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst. As
to temporal mercies, we cannot be so sure of God's will to
bestow them, as we may of his power, for his power in
them is unlimited by a regard to his glory and our good: when we
cannot be sure of his will, we may be sure of his wisdom and mercy,
to which we may cheerfully refer ourselves; Thy will be
done: and this makes the expectation easy, and the event, when
it comes, comfortable.

2. As a typical mercy. Sin is the leprosy
of the soul; it shuts us out from communion with God, to which that
we maybe restored, it is necessary that we be cleansed from this
leprosy, and this ought to be our great concern. Now observe, It is
our comfort when we apply ourselves to Christ, as the great
Physician, that if he will, he can make us clean; and we should,
with an humble, believing boldness, go to him and tell him so. That
is, (1.) We must rest ourselves upon his power; we must be
confident of this, that Christ can make us clean. No guilt
is so great but that there is a sufficiency in his righteousness to
atone for it; no corruption so strong, but there is a sufficiency
in his grace to subdue it. God would not appoint a physician to his
hospital that is not par negotio—every way qualified for the
undertaking. (2.) We must recommend ourselves to his pity; we
cannot demand it as a debt, but we must humbly request it as a
favour; "Lord, if thou wilt. I throw myself at thy feet, and
if I perish, I will perish there."

II. Christ's answer to this address, which
was very kind, v.
3.

1. He put forth his hand and touched
him. The leprosy was a noisome, loathsome disease, yet Christ
touched him; for he did not disdain to converse with publicans and
sinners, to do them good. There was a ceremonial pollution
contracted by the touch of a leper; but Christ would show, that
when he conversed with sinners, he was in no danger of being
infected by them, for the prince of this world had nothing in him.
If we touch pitch, we are defiled; but Christ was separate from
sinners, even when he lived among them.

2. He said, I will, be thou clean.
He did not say, as Elisha to Naaman, Go, wash in Jordan; did
not put him upon a tedious, troublesome, chargeable course of a
physic, but spake the word and healed him. (1.) Here is a word of
kindness, I will; I am as willing to help thee, as thou art
to be helped. Note, They who by faith apply themselves to Christ
for mercy and grace, may be sure that he is willing, freely
willing, to give them the mercy and grace they come to him for.
Christ is a Physician, that does not need to be sought for, he is
always in the way; does not need to be urged, while we are yet
speaking, he hears; does not need to be feed, he heals freely, not
for price nor reward. He has given all possible demonstration, that
he is as willing as he is able to save sinners. (2.) A word of
power, Be thou clean. Both a power of authority, and a power
of energy, are exerted in this word. Christ heals by a word of
command to us; Be thou clean; "Be willing to be clean, and
use the means; cleanse thyself from all filthiness;" but there goes
along with this a word of command concerning us, a word that does
the work; I will that thou be clean. Such a word as this is
necessary to the cure, and effectual for it; and the Almighty grace
which speaks it, shall not be wanting to those who truly desire
it.

III. The happy change hereby wrought:
Immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Nature works
gradually, but the God of nature works immediately; he speaks it,
it is done; and yet he works effectually; he commands, and it
stands fast. One of the first miracles Moses wrought, was
curing himself of a leprosy (Exod. iv.
7), for the priests under the law offered sacrifices
first for their own sin; but one of Christ's first miracles was
curing another of leprosy, for he had no sin of his own to atone
for.

IV. The after-directions Christ gave him.
It is fit that they who are cured by Christ should ever after be
ruled by him.

1. See thou tell no man; "Tell no
man till thou has shown thyself to the priest, and he has
pronounced thee clean; and so thou hast a legal proof, both that
thou wast before a leper, and art now thoroughly cleansed." Christ
would have his miracles to appear in their full light and evidence,
and not to be published till they could appear so. Note, They that
preach the truths of Christ should be able to prove them; to defend
what they preach, and convince gainsayers. "Tell no man, till
thou hast showed thyself to the priest, lest if he hear who
cured thee, he should out of spite deny to give thee a certificate
of the cure, and so keep thee under confinement." Such were the
priests in Christ's time, that they who had any thing to do with
them had need to have been as wise as serpents.

2. Go show thyself to the priest,
according to the law, Lev. xiv.
2. Christ took care to have the law observed, lest he
should give offence, and to show that he will have order kept up,
and good discipline and respect paid to those that are in office.
It may be of use to those that are cleansed of their spiritual
leprosy, to have recourse to Christ's ministers, and to open their
case to them, that they may assist them in their enquiries into
their spiritual state, and advise, and comfort, and pray for
them.

3. Offer the gift that Moses
commanded, in token of thankfulness to God, and recompence to
the priest for his pains; and this for a testimony unto
them; either, (1.) Which Moses commanded for a
testimony: the ceremonial laws were testimonies of God's
authority over them, care of them, and of that grace which should
afterwards be revealed. Or, (2.) "Do thou offer it for a testimony,
and let the priest know who cleansed thee, and how; and it shall be
a testimony, that there is one among them who does that which the
high priest cannot do. Let it remain upon record as a witness of my
power, and a testimony for me to them, if they will use it
and improve it; but against them, if they will not:" for so
Christ's word and works are testimonies.

Christ Heals the Centurion's
Servant.

5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum,
there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 6 And
saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy,
grievously tormented. 7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will
come and heal him. 8 The centurion answered and said, Lord,
I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak
the word only, and my servant shall be healed. 9 For I am a
man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this
man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh;
and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 10 When
Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that
followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith,
no, not in Israel. 11 And I say unto you, That many shall
come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and
Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the
children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness:
there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 13 And Jesus
said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed,
so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the
selfsame hour.

We have here an account of Christ's curing
the centurion's servant of a palsy. This was done at Capernaum,
where Christ now dwelt, ch. iv.
13. Christ went about doing good, and came home to do
good too; every place he came to was the better for him.

The persons Christ had now to do with
were,

1. A centurion; he was a supplicant,
a Gentile, a Roman, an officer of the army; probably
commander-in-chief of that part of the Roman army which was
quartered at Capernaum, and kept garrison there. (1.) Though he was
a soldier (and a little piety commonly goes a great way with men of
that profession), yet he was a godly man; he was eminently so.
Note, God has his remnant among all sorts of people. No man's
calling or place in the world will be an excuse for his unbelief
and impiety; none shall say in the great day, I had been religious,
if I had not been a soldier; for such there are among the
ransomed of the Lord. And sometimes where grace conquers the
unlikely, it is more than a conqueror; this soldier that was good,
was very good. (2.) Though he was a Roman soldier, and his very
dwelling among the Jews was a badge of their subjection to the
Roman yoke, yet Christ, who was King of the Jews, favoured
him; and therein has taught us to do good to our enemies, and not
needlessly to interest ourselves in national enmities. (3.) Though
he was a Gentile, yet Christ countenanced him. It is true, he went
not to any of the Gentile towns (it was the land of Canaan that was
Immanuel's land, Isa. viii.
8), yet he received addresses from Gentiles; now good
old Simeon's word began to be fulfilled, that he should be a
light to lighten the Gentiles, as well as the glory of his
people Israel. Matthew, in annexing this cure to that of the
leper, who was a Jew, intimates this; the leprous Jews Christ
touched and cured, for he preached personally to them; but the
paralytic Gentiles he cured at a distance; for to them he did not
go in person, but sent his word and healed them; yet in them
he was more magnified.

2. The centurion's servant; he was
the patient. In this also it appears, that there is no respect of
persons with God; for in Christ Jesus, as there is
neither circumcision nor uncircumcision, so there is
neither bond nor free. He is as ready to heal the poorest
servant, as the richest master; for himself took upon him the
form of a servant, to show his regard to the meanest.

Now in the story of the cure of this
servant, we may observe an intercourse or interchanging of graces,
very remarkable between Christ and the centurion. See here,

I. The grace of the centurion working
towards Christ. Can any good thing come out of a Roman soldier? any
thing tolerable, much less any thing laudable? Come and see, and
you will find abundance of good coming out of this centurion that
was eminent and exemplary. Observe, 1. His affectionate address to
Jesus Christ, which speaks,

(1.) A pious regard to our great Master, as
one able and willing to succour and relieve poor petitioners. He
came to him beseeching him, not as Naaman the Syrian (a
centurion too) came to Elisha, demanding a cure, taking state, and
standing upon points of honour; but with cap in hand as a humble
suitor. By this it seems that he saw more in Christ than appeared
at first view; saw that which commanded respect, though to those
who looked no further, his visage was marred more than any man's.
The officers of the army, being comptrollers of the town, no doubt
made a great figure, yet he lays by the thoughts of his post of
honour, when he addresses himself to Christ, and comes
beseeching him. Note, the greatest of men must turn beggars,
when they have to do with Christ. He owns Christ's sovereignty, in
calling him Lord, and referring the case to him, and to his will,
and wisdom, by a modest remonstrance, without any formal and
express petition. He knew he had to do with a wise and gracious
Physician, to whom the opening of the malady was equivalent to the
most earnest request. A humble confession of our spiritual wants
and diseases shall not fail of an answer of peace. Pour out thy
complaint, and mercy shall be poured out.

(2.) A charitable regard to his poor
servant. We read of many that came to Christ for their children,
but this is the only instance of one that came to him for a
servant: Lord, my servant lieth at home sick. Note, it is
the duty of masters to concern themselves for their servants, when
they are in affliction. The palsy disabled the servant for his
work, and made him as troublesome and tedious as any distemper
could, yet he did not turn him away when he was sick (as that
Amalekite did his servants, 1 Sam.
xxx. 13), did not send him to his friends, not let him
lie by neglected, but sought out the best relief he could for him;
the servant could not have done more for the master, than the
master did here for the servant. The centurion's servants were very
dutiful to him (v. 9),
and here we see what made them so; he was very kind to them, and
that made them the more cheerfully obedient to him. As we must not
despise the cause of our servants, when they contend with us
(Job xxxi. 13, 15), so
we must not despise their case when God contends with them; for we
are made in the same mould, by the same hand, and stand upon the
same level with them before God, and must not set them with the
dogs of our flock, and you can find
more about that here on
st-takla.org on other commentaries and
dictionary entries. The centurion applies not to witches or
wizards for his servant, but to Christ. The palsy is a disease in
which the physician's skill commonly fails; it was therefore a
great evidence of his faith in the power of Christ, to come to him
for a cure, which was above the power of natural means to effect.
Observe, How pathetically he represents his servant's case as very
sad; he is sick of the palsy, a disease which commonly makes
the patient senseless of pain, but this person was grievously
tormented; being young, nature was strong to struggle with the
stroke, which made it painful. (It was not paralysis
simplex, but scorbutica). We should thus concern
ourselves for the souls of our children, and servants, that are
spiritually sick of the palsy, the dead-palsy, the dumb palsy;
senseless of spiritual evils, inactive in that which is spiritually
good, and bring them to the means of healing and health.

2. Observe his great humility and
self-abasement. After Christ had intimated his readiness to come
and heal his servants (v.
7), he expressed himself with the more humbleness of
mind. Note, Humble souls are made more humble, by Christ's gracious
condescensions to them. Observe what was the language of his
humility; Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under
my roof (v. 8),
which speaks mean thought of himself, and high thoughts of our Lord
Jesus. He does not say, "My servant is not worthy that thou
shouldest come into his chamber, because it is in the garret;" But
I am not worthy that thou shouldest come into my house. The
centurion was a great man, yet he owned his unworthiness before
God. Note, Humility very well becomes persons of quality. Christ
now made but a mean figure in the world, yet the centurion, looking
upon him as a prophet, yea, more than a prophet, paid him
this respect. Note, We should have a value and veneration for what
we see of God, even in those who, in outward condition, are every
way our inferiors. The centurion came to Christ with a petition,
and therefore expressed himself thus humbly. Note, In all our
approaches to Christ, and to God through Christ, it becomes us to
abase ourselves, and to lie low in the sense of our own
unworthiness, as mean creatures and as vile sinners, to do any
thing for God, to receive any good from him, or to have any thing
to do with him.

3. Observe his great faith. The more
humility the more faith; the more diffident we are of ourselves,
the stronger will be our confidence in Jesus Christ. He had an
assurance of faith not only that Christ could cure his servant,
but,

(1.) That he could cure him at a distance.
There needed not any physical contact, as in natural operations,
nor any application to the part affected; but the cure, he
believed, might be wrought, without bringing the physician and
patient together. We read afterwards of those, who brought the
man sick of the palsy to Christ, through much difficulty,
and set him before him; and Christ commended their faith for a
working faith. This centurion did not bring his man sick
of the palsy, and Christ commended his faith for a
trusting faith: true faith is accepted of Christ, though
variously appearing: Christ puts the best construction upon the
different methods of religion that people take, and thereby has
taught us to do so too. This centurion believed, and it is
undoubtedly true, that the power of Christ knows no limits, and
therefore nearness and distance are alike to him. Distance of place
cannot obstruct either the knowing or working of him that fills
all places. Am I a God at hand, says the Lord, and not a God afar
off? Jer. xxiii.
23.

(2.) That he could cure him with a
word, not send him a medicine, much less a charm; but
speak the word only, and I do not question but my servant
shall be healed. Herein he owns him to have a divine power, an
authority to command all the creatures and powers of nature, which
enables him to do whatsoever he pleases in the kingdom of nature;
as at first he raised that kingdom by an almighty word, when he
said, Let there be light. With men, saying and doing are two
things; but not so with Christ, who is therefore the Arm of the
Lord, because he is the eternal Word. His saying, Be
ye warmed and filled (Jam. ii.
16), and healed, warms, and fills and heals.

The centurion's faith in the power of
Christ he here illustrates by the dominion he had, as a centurion,
over his soldiers, as a master over his servants; he says to one,
Go, and he goes, &c. They were all at his beck and
command, so as that he could by them execute things at a distance;
his word was a law to them—dictum factum; well-disciplined
soldiers know that the commands of their officers are not to be
disputed, but obeyed. Thus could Christ speak, and it is done; such
a power had he over all bodily diseases. The centurion had this
command over his soldiers, though he was himself a man under
authority; not a commander-in-chief, but a subaltern officer;
much more had Christ this power, who is the supreme and sovereign
Lord of all. The centurion's servants were very obsequious, would
go and come at every the least intimation of their master's mind.
Now, [1.] Such servants we all should be to God: we must go and
come at his bidding, according to the directions of his word, and
the disposals of his providence; run where he sends us, return when
he remands us, and do what he appoints. What saith my Lord unto
his servant? When his will crosses our own, his must take
place, and our own be set aside. [2.] Such servants bodily diseases
are to Christ. They seize us when he sends them; they leave us when
he calls them back; they have that effect upon us, upon our bodies,
upon our souls, that he orders. It is a matter of comfort to all
that belong to Christ, for whose good his power is exerted and
engaged, that every disease has his commission, executes his
command, is under his control, and is made to serve the intentions
of his grace. They need not fear sickness, nor what it can do, who
see it in the hand of so good a Friend.

II. Here is the grace of Christ appearing
towards this centurion; for to the gracious he will show himself
gracious.

1. He complies with his address at the
first word. He did but tell him his servant's case, and was going
on to beg a cure, when Christ prevented him, with this good word,
and comfortable word, I will come and heal him (v. 7); not I will come and
see him—that had evinced him a kind Saviour; but, I will
come and heal him—that shows him a mighty, an almighty
Saviour; it was a great word, but no more than he could make good;
for he has healing under his wings; his coming is healing.
They who wrought miracles by a derived power, did not speak thus
positively, as Christ did, who wrought them by his own power, as
one that had authority. When a minister is sent for to a sick
friend, he can but say, I will come and pray for him; but
Christ says, I will come and heal him: it is well that
Christ can do more for us than our ministers can. The centurion
desired he would heal his servant; he says, I will come and heal
him; thus expressing more favour than he did either ask or
think of. Note, Christ often outdoes the expectations of poor
supplicants. See an instance of Christ's humility, that he would
make a visit to a poor soldier. He would not go down to see a
nobleman's sick child, who insisted upon his coming down (John iv. 47-49), but he proffers
to go down to see a sick servant; thus does he regard the low
estate of his people, and give more abundant honour to that
part which lacked. Christ's humility, in being willing to come,
gave an example to him, and occasioned his humility, in owning
himself unworthy to have him come. Note, Christ's gracious
condescensions to us, should make us the more humble and
self-abasing before him.

2. He commends his faith, and takes
occasion from it to speak a kind word of the poor Gentiles,
v. 10-12. See what
great things a strong but self-denying faith can obtain from Jesus
Christ, even of general and public concern.

(1.) As to the centurion himself; he not
only approved him and accepted him (that honour have all true
believers), but he admired him and applauded him: that honour great
believers have, as Job; there is none like unto him in the
earth.

[1.] Christ admired him, not for his
greatness, but for his graces. When Jesus heard it, he
marvelled; not as if it were to him new and surprising, he knew
the centurion's faith, for he wrought it; but it was great and
excellent, rare and uncommon, and Christ spoke of it as wonderful,
to teach us what to admire; not worldly pomp and decorations, but
the beauty of holiness, and the ornaments which are in the sight
of God of great price. Note, The wonders of grace should affect
us more than the wonders of nature or providence, and spiritual
attainments more than any achievements in this world. Of those that
are rich in faith, not of those that are rich in gold and
silver, we should say that they have gotten all this
glory, Gen. xxx. 1. But
whatever there is admirable in the faith of any, it must redound to
the glory of Christ, who will shortly be himself admired in all
them that believe, as having done in and for them marvellous
things.

[2.] He applauded him in what he
said to them that followed. All believers shall be, in
the other world, but some believers are, in this world,
confessed and acknowledged by Christ before men, in his eminent
appearances for them and with them. Verily, I have not found so
great faith, no, not in Israel. Now this speaks, First,
Honour to the centurion; who, though not a son of Abraham's
loins, was an heir of Abraham's faith, and Christ found it so.
Note, The thing that Christ seeks is faith, and wherever it
is, he finds it, though but as a grain of mustard-seed. He
had not found so great faith, all things considered, and in
proportion to the means; as the poor widow is said to cast in
more than they all, Luke xxi.
3. Though the centurion was a Gentile, yet he was thus
commended. Note, We must be so far from grudging, that we must be
forward, to give those their due praise, that are not within our
denomination or pale. Secondly, It speaks shame to
Israel, to whom pertained the adoption, the glory, the
covenants, and all the assistances and encouragements of faith.
Note, When the Son of man comes, he finds little
faith, and, therefore, he finds so little fruit.
Note, the attainments of some, who have had but little helps for
their souls, will aggravate the sin and ruin of many, that have had
great plenty of the means of grace, and have not made a good
improvement of them. Christ said this to those that followed
him, if by any means he might provoke them to a holy emulation, as
Paul speaks, Rom. xi. 14.
They were Abraham's seed; in jealousy for that honour, let them not
suffer themselves to be outstripped by a Gentile, especially in
that grace for which Abraham was eminent.

(2.) As to others. Christ takes occasion
from hence to make a comparison between Jews and Gentiles, and
tells them two things, which could not but be very surprising to
them who had been taught that salvation was of the Jews.

[1.] That a great many of the Gentiles
should be saved, v.
11. The faith of the centurion was but a specimen of the
conversion of the Gentiles, and a preface to their adoption into
the church. This was a topic our Lord Jesus touched often upon; he
speaks it with assurance; I say unto you, "I that know all
men;" and he could not say any thing more pleasing to himself, or
more displeasing to the Jews; an intimation of this kind enraged
the Nazarenes against him, Luke iv.
27. Christ gives us here an idea, First, of the
persons that shall be saved; many from the east
and the west: he had said (ch. vii. 14), Few there be that find
the way of life; and yet here many shall come. Few at
one time, and in one place; yet, when they come altogether, they
will be a great many. We now see but here and there one brought to
grace; but we shall shortly see the Captain of our salvation
bringing many sons to glory, Heb. ii. 10. He will come with ten
thousands of his saints (Jude
14), with such a company as no man can number
(Rev. vii. 9); with
nations of them that are saved, Rev. xxi. 24. They shall come from the
east and from the west; places far distant from each
other; and yet they shall all meet at the right hand of Christ, the
Centre of their unity. Note, God has his remnant in all places;
from the rising of the sun, to the going down of the same,
Mal. i. 11. The elect will
be gathered from the four winds, ch. xxiv. 31. They are sown in the
earth, some scattered in every corner of the field. The Gentile
world lay from east to west, and they are especially meant
here; though they were strangers to the covenant of promise
now, and had been long, yet who knows what hidden ones God
had among them then? As in Elijah's time in Israel (1 Kings xix. 14), soon after which
they flocked into the church in great multitudes, Isa. lx. 3, 4. Note, When we come
to heaven, as we shall miss a great many there, that we thought had
been going thither, so we shall meet a great many there, that we
did not expect. Secondly, Christ gives us an idea of the
salvation itself. They shall come, shall come together,
shall come together to Christ, 2 Thess.
ii. 1. 1. They shall be admitted into the kingdom of
grace on earth, into the covenant of grace made with Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob; they shall be blessed with faithful
Abraham, whose blessing comes upon the Gentiles, Gal. iii. 14. This makes Zaccheus a
son of Abraham, Luke xix. 9.
2. They shall be admitted into the kingdom of glory in
heaven. They shall come cheerfully, flying as doves to their
windows; they shall sit down to rest from their labours, as
having done their day's work; sitting denotes continuance:
while we stand, we are going; where we sit, we
mean to stay; heaven is a remaining rest, it is a
continuing city; they shall sit down, as upon a
throne (Rev. iii. 21); as
at a table; that is the metaphor here; they shall sit down
to be feasted; which denotes both fulness of
communication, and freedom and familiarity of
communion, Luke xxii. 30.
They shall sit down with Abraham. They who in this world
were ever so far distant from each other in time, place, or outward
condition, shall all meet together in heaven; ancients and moderns,
Jews and Gentiles, rich and poor. The rich man in hell sees
Abraham, but Lazarus sits down with him, leaning on his
breast. Note, Holy society is a part of the felicity of heaven; and
they on whom the ends of the world are come, and who are most
obscure, shall share in glory with the renowned patriarchs.

[2.] That a great many of the Jews should
perish, v. 12.
Observe,

First, A strange sentence passed;
The children of the kingdom shall be cast out; the Jews that
persist in unbelief, though they were by birth children of the
kingdom, yet shall be cut off from being members of the visible
church: the kingdom of God, of which they boasted that they
were the children, shall be taken from them, and they shall
become not a people, not obtaining mercy, Rom. xi. 20; ix. 31. In the
great day it will not avail men to have been children of the
kingdom, either as Jews or as Christians; for men will then be
judged, not by what they were called, but by what they
were. If children indeed, then heirs; but many are
children in profession, in the family, but not of it, that will
come short of the inheritance. Being born of professing parents
denominates us children of the kingdom; but if we rest in
that, and have nothing else to show for heaven but that, we shall
be cast out.

Secondly, A strange punishment for
the workers of iniquity described; They shall be cast
into outer darkness, the darkness of those that are without, of
the Gentiles that were out of the church; into that the Jews were
cast, and into worse; they were blinded, and hardened, and filled
with terrors, as the apostle shows, Rom. xi. 8-10. A people so unchurched and
given up to spiritual judgments, are in utter darkness
already: but it looks further, to the state of damned sinners in
hell, to which the other is a dismal preface. They shall be cast
out from God, and all true comfort, and cast into
darkness. In hell there is fire, but no light; it is utter
darkness; darkness in extremity; the highest degree of
darkness, without any remainder, or mixture, or hope, of light; not
the least gleam or glimpse of it; it is darkness that results from
their being shut out of heaven, the land of light; they who are
without, are in the regions of darkness; yet that is
not the worst of it, there shall be weeping and gnashing of
teeth. 1. In hell there will be great grief, floods of tears
shed to no purpose; anguish of spirit preying eternally upon the
vitals, in the sense of the wrath of God, is the torment of the
damned. 2. Great indignation: damned sinners will gnash their
teeth for spite and vexation, full of the fury of the
Lord; seeing with envy the happiness of others, and reflecting
with horror upon the former possibility of their own being happy,
which is now past.

3. He cures his servant. He not only
commends his application to him, but grants him that for which he
applied, which was a real answer, v. 13. Observe,

(1.) What Christ said to him: he said that
which made the cure as great a favour to him as it was to his
servant, and much greater; As thou hast believed, so be it done
to thee. The servant got a cure of his disease, but the master
got the confirmation and approbation of his faith. Note, Christ
often gives encouraging answers to his praying people, when they
are interceding for others. It is kindness to us, to be heard for
others. God turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his
friends, Job xlii. 10. It
was a great honour which Christ put upon this centurion, when he
gave him a blank, as it were; Be it done as thou believest.
What could he have more? Yet what was said to him is said to us
all, Believe, and ye shall receive; only believe. See here
the power of Christ, and the power of faith. As Christ can
do what he will, so an active believer may have what
he will from Christ; the oil of grace multiplies, and stays not
till the vessels of faith fail.

(2.) What was the effect of this saying:
the prayer of faith was a prevailing prayer, it ever was so, and
ever will be so; it appears, by the suddenness of the cure, that it
was miraculous: and by its coincidence with Christ's saying,
that the miracle was his; he spake, and it was done; and
this was a proof of his omnipotence, that he has a long arm. It is
the observation of a learned physician, that the diseases Christ
cured were chiefly such as were the most difficult to be cured by
any natural means, and particularly the palsy. Omnis paralysis,
præsertim vetusta, aut incurabilis est, aut difficilis curatu,
etiam pueris: atque soleo ego dicere, morbos omnes qui Christo
curandi fuerunt propositi, difficillimos sua matura curatu
esse—Every kind of palsy, especially of long continuance, is
either incurable, or is found to yield with the utmost difficulty
to medical skill, even in young subjects; so that I have frequently
remarked, that all the diseases which were referred to Christ for
cure appear to have been of the most obstinate and hopeless
kind. Mercurialis De Morbis Puerorum, lib. 2. cap.
5.

Peter's Wife's Mother
Healed.

14 And when Jesus was come into Peter's house,
he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever. 15 And
he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and
ministered unto them. 16 When the even was come, they
brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast
out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were
sick: 17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by
Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare
our sicknesses.

They who pretend to be critical in the
Harmony of the evangelists, place this passage, and all that
follows to the end of ch.
ix. before the sermon on the mount, according to the
order which Mark and Luke observe in placing it. Dr. Lightfoot
places only this passage before the sermon on the mount, and
v. 18, &c. after.
Here we have,

I. A particular account of the cure of
Peter's wife's mother, who was ill of a fever; in
which observe,

1. The case, which was nothing
extraordinary; fevers are the most common distempers; but, the
patient being a near relation of Peter's, it is recorded as an
instance of Christ's peculiar care of, and kindness to, the
families of his disciples. Here we find, (1.) That Peter had a
wife, and yet was called to be an apostle of Christ;
and Christ countenanced the marriage state, by being thus kind to
his wife's relations. The church of Rome, therefore, which
forbids ministers to marry, goes contrary to that apostle from whom
they pretend to derive an infallibility. (2.) That Peter had a
house, though Christ had not, v. 20. Thus was the disciple better
provided for than his Lord. (3.) That he had a house at Capernaum,
though he was originally of Bethsaida; it is probably, he removed
to Capernaum, when Christ removed thither, and made that his
principal residence. Note, It is worth while to change our
quarters, that we may be near to Christ, and have opportunities of
converse with him. When the ark removes, Israel must remove and go
after it. (4.) That he had his wife's mother with him in his
family, which is an example to yoke-fellows to be kind to one
another's relations as their own. Probably, this good woman was
old, and yet was respected and taken care of, as old people ought
to be, with all possible tenderness. (5.) That she lay ill of a
fever. Neither the strength of youth, nor the weakness and
coldness of age, will be a fence against diseases of this kind. The
palsy was a chronical disease, the fever an acute disease, but both
were brought to Christ.

2. The cure, v. 15. (1.) How it was effected; He
touched her hand; not to know the disease, as the physicians
do, by the pulse, but to heal it. This was an intimation of his
kindness and tenderness; he is himself touched with the feeling
of our infirmities; it likewise shows the way of spiritual
healing, by the exerting of the power of Christ with his word, and
the application of Christ to ourselves. The scripture speaks the
word, the Spirit gives the touch, touches the heart, touches
the hand. (2.) How it was evidenced: this showed that the
fever left her, she arose, and ministered to them. By this
it appears, [1.] That the mercy was perfected. They that recover
from fevers by the power of nature are commonly weak and feeble,
and unfit for business a great while after; to show therefore that
this cure was above the power of nature, she was immediately so
well as to go about the business of the house. [2.] That the mercy
was sanctified; and the mercies that are so are indeed perfected.
Though she was thus dignified by a peculiar favour, yet she does
not assume importance, but is as ready to wait at table, if there
be occasion, as any servant. They must be humble whom Christ has
honoured; being thus delivered, she studies what she shall render.
It is very fit that they whom Christ hath healed should minister
unto him, as his humble servants, all their days.

II. Here is a general account of the many
cures that Christ wrought. This cure of Peter's mother-in-law
brought him abundance of patients. "He healed such a one; why not
me? Such a one's friend, why not mine?" Now we are here told,

1. What he did, v. 16. (1.) He cast out devils; cast
out the evil spirits with his word. There may be much of
Satan's agency, by the divine permission, in those diseases of
which natural causes may be assigned, as in Job's boils, especially
in the diseases of the mind; but, about the time of Christ's being
in the world, there seems to have been more than ordinary letting
loose of the devil, to possess and vex the bodies of people; he
came, having great wrath, for he knew that his time was
short; and God wisely ordered it so, that Christ might have the
fairer and more frequent opportunities of showing his power over
Satan, and the purpose and design of his coming into the world,
which was to disarm and dispossess Satan, to break his power, and
to destroy his works; and his success was as glorious as his design
was gracious. (2.) He healed all that were sick; all without
exception, though the patient was ever so mean, and the case ever
so bad.

2. How the scripture was herein fulfilled,
v. 17. The
accomplishment of the Old-Testament prophecies was the great thing
Christ had in his eye, and the great proof of his being the
Messiah: among other things, it was written of him (Isa. liii. 4), Surely he hath
borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: it is referred to,
1 Pet. ii. 24, and there it
is construed, he hath borne our sins; here it is referred
to, and is construed, he hath borne our sicknesses; our sins
make our sicknesses our griefs; Christ bore away sin by the merit
of his death, and bore away sickness by the miracles of his life;
nay, though those miracles are ceased, we may say, that he bore
our sicknesses then, when he bore our sins in his own body
upon the tree; for sin is both the cause and the sting of
sickness. Many are the diseases and calamities to which we are
liable in the body: and there is more, in this one line of the
gospels, to support and comfort us under them, than in all the
writings of the philosophers—that Jesus Christ bore our
sicknesses, and carried our sorrows; he bore them before us;
though he was never sick, yet he was hungry, and thirsty, and
weary, and troubled in spirit, sorrowful and very heavy; he bore
them for us in his passion, and bears them with us in
compassion, being touched with the feeling of our
infirmities: and thus he bears them off from us, and makes them
sit light, if it be not our own fault. Observe how emphatically it
is expressed here: Himself took our infirmities, and bare our
sicknesses; he was both able and willing to interpose in that
matter, and concerned to deal with our infirmities and
sicknesses, as our Physician; that part of the calamity of the
human nature was his particular care, which he evidenced by his
great readiness to cure diseases; and he is no less powerful, no
less tender now, for we are sure that never were any the worse for
going to heaven.

Christ's Answer to a Scribe and
Another.

18 Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about
him, he gave commandment to depart unto the other side. 19
And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow
thee whithersoever thou goest. 20 And Jesus saith unto him,
The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests;
but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 21
And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first
to go and bury my father. 22 But Jesus said unto him, Follow
me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Here is, I. Christ's removing to the
other side of the sea of Tiberias, and his ordering his
disciples, whose boats attended him, to get their transport-vessels
ready, in order to it, v.
18. The influences of this Sun of righteousness were not
to be confined to one place, but diffused all the country over; he
must go about to do good; the necessities of souls called to him,
Come over, and help us (Acts
xvi. 9); he removed when he saw great multitudes
about him. Though by this it appeared that they were desirous
to have him there, he knew there were others as desirous to have
him with them, and they must have their share of him: his being
acceptable and useful in one place was no objection against, but a
reason for, his going to another. Thus he would try the multitudes
that were about him, whether their zeal would carry them to
follow him, and attend on him, when his preaching was removed to
some distance. Many would be glad of such helps, if they could have
them at next door, who will not be at the pains to follow them to
the other side; and thus Christ shook off those who were
less zealous, and the perfect were made manifest.

II. Christ's communication with two, who,
upon his remove to the other side, were loth to stay behind,
and had a mind to follow him, not as others, who were his followers
at large, but to come into close discipleship, which the most were
shy of; for it carried such a face of strictness as they could not
like, nor be well reconciled to; but here is an account of two who
seemed desirous to come into communion, and yet were not right;
which is here given as a specimen of the hindrances by which many
are kept from closing with Christ, and cleaving to him; and a
warning to us, to set out in following Christ, so as that we may
not come short; to lay such a foundation, as that our building may
stand.

We have here Christ's managing of two
different tempers, one quick and eager, the other dull and heavy;
and his instructions are adapted to each of them, and designed for
our use.

1. Here is one that was too hasty in
promising; and he was a certain scribe (v. 19), a scholar, a learned
man, one of those that studied and expounded the law; generally we
find them in the gospels to be men of no good character; usually
coupled with the Pharisees, as enemies to Christ and his doctrine.
Where is the scribe? 1 Cor. i.
20. He is very seldom following Christ; yet here was one
that bid pretty fair for discipleship, a Saul among the
prophets. Now observe,

(1.) How he expressed his forwardness;
Master, I will follow thee, whithersoever thou goest. I know
not how any man could have spoken better. His profession of a
self-dedication to Christ is, [1.] Very ready, and seems to be
ex mero motu—from his unbiased inclination: he is not
called to it by Christ, nor urged by any of the disciples, but, of
his own accord, he proffers himself to be a close follower of
Christ; he is not a pressed man, but a volunteer. [2.] Very
resolute; he seems to be at a point in this matter; he does not
say, "I have a mind to follow thee;" but, "I am determined,
I will do it." [3.] It was unlimited and without reserve;
"I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest; not only to
the other side of the country, but if it were to the utmost
regions of the world." Now we should think ourselves sure of such a
man as this; and yet it appears, by Christ's answer, that his
resolution was rash, his ends low and carnal: either he did not
consider at all, or not that which was to be considered; he saw the
miracles Christ wrought, and hoped he would set up a temporal
kingdom, and he wished to apply betimes for a share in it. Note,
There are many resolutions for religion, produced by some sudden
pangs of conviction, and taken up without due consideration, that
prove abortive, and come to nothing: soon ripe, soon rotten.

(2.) How Christ tried his forwardness,
whether it were sincere or not, v. 20. He let him know that this Son
of man, whom he is so eager to follow, has not where to lay
his head, v. 20.
Now from this account of Christ's deep poverty, we observe,

[1.] That it is strange in itself, that the
Son of God, when he came into the world, should put himself into
such a very low condition, as to want the convenience of a certain
resting-place, which the meanest of the creatures have. If he would
take our nature upon him, one would think, he should have
taken it in its best estate and circumstances: no, he takes it in
its worst. See here, First, How well provided for the
inferior creatures are: The foxes have holes; though they
are not only not useful, but hurtful, to man, yet God provides
holes for them in which they are earthed: man endeavours to destroy
them, but thus they are sheltered; their holes are their castles.
The birds of the air, though they take no care for
themselves, yet are taken care of, and have nests (Ps. civ. 17); nests in the
field; some of them nests in the house; in God's courts,
Ps. lxxxiv. 3.
Secondly, How poorly the Lord Jesus was provided for. It may
encourage us to trust God for necessaries, that the beasts and
birds have such good provision; and may comfort us, if we want
necessaries, that our Master did so before us. Note, Our Lord
Jesus, when he was here in the world, submitted to the disgraces
and distresses of extreme poverty; for our sakes he became
poor, very poor. He had not a settlement, had not a place of
repose, not a house of his own, to put his head in, not a pillow of
his own, to lay his head on. He and his disciples lived upon the
charity of well-disposed people, that ministered to him of their
substance, Luke viii. 2.
Christ submitted to this, not only that he might in all respects
humble himself, and fulfil the scriptures, which spake of him as
poor and needy, but that he might show us the vanity of
worldly wealth, and teach us to look upon it with a holy contempt;
that he might purchase better things for us, and so make us
rich, 2 Cor. viii.
9.

[2.] It is strange that such a declaration
should be made on this occasion. When a scribe offered to follow
Christ, one would think he would have encouraged him, and said,
Come, and I will take care of thee; one scribe might be
capable of doing him more credit and service than twelve fishermen:
but Christ saw his heart, and answered to the thoughts of that, and
therein teaches us all how to come to Christ. First, The
scribe's resolve seems to have been sudden; and Christ would have
us, when we take upon us a profession of religion, to sit down
and count the cost (Luke xiv.
28), to do it intelligently, and with consideration, and
choose the way of godliness, not because we know no other, but
because we know no better. It is no advantage to religion, to take
men by surprise, ere they are aware. They that take up a profession
in a pang, will throw it off again in a fret; let
them, therefore, take time, and they will have done the
sooner: let him that will follow Christ know the worst of it,
and expect to lie hard, and fare hard. Secondly, His resolve
seems to have been from a worldly, covetous principle. He saw what
abundance of cures Christ wrought, and concluded that he had large
fees, and would get an estate quickly, and therefore he would
follow him in hopes of growing rich with him; but Christ rectifies
his mistake, and tells him, he was so far from growing rich, that
he had not a place to lay his head on; and that if he follow
him, he cannot expect to fare better than he fared. Note, Christ
will accept none for his followers that aim at worldly advantages
in following him, or design to make any thing but heaven of their
religion. We have reason to think that this scribe, hereupon,
went away sorrowful, being disappointed in a bargain which
he thought would turn to account; he is not for following Christ,
unless he can get by him.

2. Here is another that was too slow in
performing. Delay in execution is as bad, on the one hand, as
precipitancy in resolution is on the other hand; when we have taken
time to consider, and then have determined, let it never be said,
we left that to be done to-morrow, which we could do to-day. This
candidate for the ministry was one of Christ's disciples already
(v. 21), a follower
of him at large. Clemens Alexandrinus tells us, from an ancient
tradition, that this was Philip; he seems to be better qualified
and disposed than the former; because not so confident and
presumptuous: a bold, eager, over-forward temper is not the most
promising in religion; sometimes the last are first, and the first
last. Now observe here,

(1.) The excuse that this disciple made, to
defer an immediate attendance on Christ (v. 21); "Lord, suffer me first to go
and bury my father. Before I come to be a close and constant
follower of thee, let me be allowed to perform this last office of
respect to my father; and in the mean time, let it suffice to be a
hearer of thee now and then, when I can spare time." His father
(some think) was now sick, or dying, or dead; others think, he was
only aged, and not likely in a course of nature, to continue long;
and he desired leave to attend upon him in his sickness, at his
death, and to his grave, and then he would be at Christ's service.
This seemed a reasonable request, and yet it was not right. He had
not the zeal he should have had for the work, and therefore pleaded
this, because it seemed a plausible plea. Note, An unwilling mind
never wants an excuse. The meaning of Non vacat is, Non
placet—The want of leisure is the want of inclination. We will
suppose it to come from a true filial affection and respect for his
father, yet still the preference should have been given to Christ.
Note, Many are hindered from and in the way of
serious godliness, by an over-concern for their families and
relations; these lawful things undo us all, and our duty to God is
neglected, and postponed, under colour of discharging our debts to
the world; here therefore we have need to double our guard.

(2.) Christ's disallowing of this excuse
(v. 22); Jesus
said to him, Follow me; and, no doubt, power accompanied this
word to him, as to others, and he did follow Christ, and
cleaved to him, as Ruth to Naomi, when the scribe, in the verses before, like Orpah, took
leave of him. That said, I will follow thee; to this Christ
said, Follow me; comparing them together, it is intimated
that we are brought to Christ by the force of his call to us, not
of our promises to him; it is not of him that willeth, nor of
him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy; he calls whom
he will, Rom. ix. 16. And
further, Note, Though chosen vessels may make excuses, and delay
their compliance with divine calls a great while, yet Christ will
at length answer their excuses, conquer their unwillingness, and
bring them to his feet; when Christ calls, he will overcome, and
make the call effectual, 1 Sam. iii.
10. His excuse is laid aside as insufficient; Let the
dead bury their dead. It is a proverbial expression; "Let one
dead man bury another: rather let them lie unburied, than that the
service of Christ should be neglected. Let the dead
spiritually bury the dead corporally; let worldly offices be
left to worldly people; do not thou encumber thyself with them.
Burying the dead, and especially a dead father, is a good work, but
it is not thy work at this time: it may be done as well by others,
that are not called and qualified, as thou art, to be employed for
Christ; thou hast something else to do, and must not defer that."
Note, Piety to God must be preferred before piety to parents,
though that is a great and needful part of our religion. The
Nazarites, under the law, were not to mourn for their own parents,
because they were holy to the Lord (Num. vi. 6-8); nor was the high priest to
defile himself for the dead, no, not for his own
father, Lev. xxi. 11,
12. And Christ requires of those who would follow him,
that they hate father and mother (Luke xiv. 26); love them less than God; we
must comparatively neglect and disesteem our nearest relations,
when they come in competition with Christ, and either our doing for
him, or our suffering for him.

Jesus Allays a Storm.

23 And when he was entered into a ship, his
disciples followed him. 24 And, behold, there arose a great
tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the
waves: but he was asleep. 25 And his disciples came to
him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little
faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there
was a great calm. 27 But the men marvelled, saying, What
manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey
him!

Christ had given sailing orders to his
disciples (v. 18),
that they should depart to the other side of the sea of
Tiberias, into the country of Gadara, in the tribe of Gad,
which lay east of Jordan; thither he would go to rescue a poor
creature that was possessed with a legion of devils, though
he foresaw how he should be affronted there. Now. 1. He chose to go
by water. It had not been much about, if he had gone by land; but
he chose to cross the lake, that he might have occasion to manifest
himself the God of the sea as well as of the dry
land, and to show that all power is his, both in heaven and
in earth. It is a comfort to those who go down to the sea in
ships, and are often in perils there, to reflect that they have
a Saviour to trust in, and pray to, who knows what it is to be at
sea, and to be in storms there. But observe, when he went to sea,
he had no yacht or pleasure-boat to attend him, but made use of his
disciples' fishing-boats; so poorly was he accommodated in all
respects. 2. His disciples followed him; the twelve kept
close to him, when others staid behind upon the terra firma,
where there was sure footing. Note, They, and they only, will be
found the true disciples of Christ, that are willing to go to sea
with him, to follow him into dangers and difficulties. Many would
be content to go the land-way to heaven, that will rather stand
still, or go back, than venture upon a dangerous sea; but those
that would rest with Christ hereafter must follow him now wherever
he leads them, into a ship or into a prison, as well as into a
palace. Now observe here,

I. The peril and perplexity of the
disciples in this voyage; and in this appeared the truth of what
Christ had just now said, that those who follow him must count upon
difficulties, v.
20.

1. There arose a very great storm,
v. 24. Christ could
have prevented this storm, and have ordered them a pleasant
passage, but that would not have been so much for his glory and the
confirmation of their faith as their deliverance was: this storm
was for their sakes, as John
xi. 4. One would have expected, that having Christ with
them, they should have had a very favourable gale, but it is quite
otherwise; for Christ would show that they who are passing with him
over the ocean of this world to the other side, must expect storms
by the way. The church is tossed with tempests (Isa. liv. 11); it is only the upper
region that enjoys a perpetual calm, this lower one is ever and
anon disturbed and disturbing.

2. Jesus Christ was asleep in this
storm. We never read of Christ's sleeping but at this time; he
was in watchings often, and continued all night in prayer to God:
this was a sleep, not of security, like Jonah's in a storm, but of
holy serenity, and dependence upon his Father: he slept to show
that he was really and truly man, and subject to the sinless
infirmities of our nature: his work made him weary and sleepy, and
he had no guilt, no fear within, to disturb his repose. Those that
can lay their heads upon the pillow of a clear conscience, may
sleep quietly and sweetly in a storm (Ps. iv. 8), as Peter, Acts xii. 6. He slept at this time, to try the
faith of his disciples, whether they could trust him when he seemed
to slight them. He slept not so much with a desire to be refreshed,
as with a design to be awaked.

3. The poor disciples, though used to the
sea, were in a great fright, and in their fear came to their
Master, v. 25.
Whither else should they go? It was well they had him so near them.
They awoke him with their prayers; Lord, save us, we
perish. Note, They who would learn to pray must go to sea.
Imminent and sensible dangers will drive people to him who alone
can help in time of need. Their prayer has life in it, Lord,
save us, we perish. (1.) Their petition is, Lord, save
us. They believed he could save them; they begged he
would, Christ's errand into the world was to save,
but those only shall be saved that call on the name of the
Lord, Acts ii. 21. They
who by faith are interested in the eternal salvation wrought out by
Christ, may with a humble confidence apply themselves to him for
temporal deliverances. Observe, They call him, Lord, and
then pray, Save us. Note, Christ will save none but those
that are willing to take him for their Lord; for he is a Prince and
a Saviour. (2.) Their plea is, We perish; which was, [1.]
The language of their fear; they looked upon their case as
desperate, and gave up all for lost; they had received a sentence
of death within themselves, and this they plead, "We perish,
if thou dost not save us; look upon us therefore with pity." [2.]
It was the language of their fervency; they pray as men in earnest,
that beg for their lives; it becomes us thus to strive and wrestle
in prayer; therefore Christ slept, that he might draw out
this importunity.

II. The power and grace of Jesus Christ put
forth for their succour: then the Lord Jesus awaked, as one
refreshed, Ps. lxxviii. 65.
Christ may sleep when his church is in a storm, but he will not
outsleep himself: the time, the set time to favour his distressed
church, will come, Ps. cii.
13.

1. He rebuked the disciples (v. 26); Why are ye fearful,
O ye of little faith? He does not chide them for disturbing him
with their prayers, but for disturbing themselves with their fears.
Christ reproved them first, and then delivered them; this is his
method, to prepare us for a mercy, and then to give it us. Observe,
(1.) His dislike of their fears; "Why are ye fearful? Ye, my
disciples? Let the sinners in Zion be afraid, let heathen mariners
tremble in a storm, but you shall not be so. Enquire into the
reasons of your fear, and weigh them." (2.) His discovery of the
cause and spring of their fears; O ye of little faith. Many
that have true faith are weak in it, and it does but little. Note,
[1.] Christ's disciples are apt to be disquieted with fears in a
stormy day, to torment themselves with jealousies that things are
bad with them, and dismal conclusions that they will be worse. [2.]
The prevalence of our inordinate fears in a stormy day is owing to
the weakness of our faith, which would be as an anchor to the soul,
and would ply the oar of prayer. By faith we might see through the
storm to the quiet shore, and encourage ourselves with hope that we
shall weather our point. [3.] The fearfulness of Christ's disciples
in a storm, and their unbelief, the cause of it, are very
displeasing to the Lord Jesus, for they reflect dishonour upon him,
and create disturbance to themselves.

2. He rebukes the wind; the former
he did as the God of grace, and the Sovereign of the heart,
who can do what he pleases in us; this he did as the God of
nature, the Sovereign of the world, who can do what he
pleases for us. It is the same power that stills the
noise of the sea, and the tumult of fear, Ps. lxv. 7. See, (1.) How easily this
was done, with a word's speaking. Moses commanded the waters with a
rod; Joshua, with the ark of the covenant; Elisha, with the
prophet's mantle; but Christ with a word. See his absolute dominion
over all the creatures, which bespeaks both his honour, and the
happiness of those that have him on their side. (2.) How
effectually it was done? There was a great calm, all
of a sudden. Ordinarily, after a storm, there is such a fret of the
waters, that it is a good while ere they can settle; but if Christ
speak the word, not only the storm ceases, but all the effects of
it, all the remains of it. Great storms of doubt, and fear in the
soul, under the power of the spirit of bondage, sometimes end in a
wonderful calm, created and spoken by the Spirit of adoption.

3. This excited their astonishment
(v. 27); The men
marvelled. They had been long acquainted with the sea, and
never saw a storm so immediately turned into a perfect calm, in all
their lives. It has all the marks and signatures of a miracle upon
it; it is the Lord's doing, and is marvellous in their eyes.
Observe, (1.) Their admiration of Christ; What manner of man is
this! Note, Christ is a Nonsuch; every thing in him is
admirable: none so wise, so mighty, so amiable, as he. (2.) The
reason of it; Even the winds and the sea obey him. Upon this
account, Christ is to be admired, that he has a commanding power
even over winds and seas. Others pretended to cure diseases,
but he only undertook to command the winds. We know not the
way of the wind (John iii.
8), much less can we control it; but he that bringeth
forth the wind out of his treasury (Ps. cxxxv. 7), when it is out, gathers it
into his fists, Prov. xxx.
4. He that can do this, can do any thing, can do enough
to encourage our confidence and comfort in him, in the most stormy
day, within or without, Isa. xxvi.
4. The Lord sits upon the floods, and is
mightier than the noise of many waters. Christ, by
commanding the seas, showed himself to be the same that
made the world, when, at his rebuke, the waters fled
(Ps. civ. 7, 8), as now,
at his rebuke, they fell.

The Devils Cast Out of Two
Men.

28 And when he was come to the other side into
the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with
devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man
might pass by that way. 29 And, behold, they cried out,
saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art
thou come hither to torment us before the time? 30 And there
was a good way off from them a herd of many swine feeding.
31 So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer
us to go away into the herd of swine. 32 And he said unto
them, Go. And when they were come out, they went into the herd of
swine: and, behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a
steep place into the sea, and perished in the waters. 33 And
they that kept them fled, and went their ways into the city, and
told every thing, and what was befallen to the possessed of the
devils. 34 And, behold, the whole city came out to meet
Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he
would depart out of their coasts.

We have here the story of Christ's casting
the devils out of two men that were possessed. The scope of this
chapter is to show the divine power of Christ, by the instances of
his dominion over bodily diseases, which to us are irresistible;
over winds and waves, which to us are yet more uncontrollable; and
lastly, over devils, which to us are most formidable of all. Christ
has not only all power in heaven and earth and all deep places, but has
the keys of hell too, and you can find
more about that here on
st-takla.org on other commentaries and
dictionary entries. Principalities and powers
were made subject to him, even while he was in his estate of
humiliation, as an earnest of what should be at his entrance into
his glory (Eph. i. 21); he
spoiled them, Col. ii. 15.
It was observed in general (v.
16), that Christ cast out the spirits with his
word; here we have a particular instance of it, which have some
circumstances more remarkable than the rest. This miracle was
wrought in the country of the Gergesenes; some think, they were the
remains of the old Girgashites, Deut.
vii. 1. Though Christ was sent chiefly to the lost
sheep of the house of Israel, yet some sallies he made among
the borderers, as here, to gain this victory over Satan, which was
a specimen of the conquest of his legions in the Gentile world.

Now, besides the general instance which
this gives us of Christ's power over Satan, and his design against
him to disarm and dispossess him, we have here especially
discovered to us the way and manner of evil spirits in their enmity
to man. Observe, concerning this legion of devils, What work they
made where they were, and where they went.

I. What work they made where they
were; which appears in the miserable condition of these two
that were possessed by them; and some think, these two were man and
wife, because the other Evangelists speak but of one.

1. They dwelt among the tombs;
thence they came when the met Christ. The devil having the power
of death, not as judge, but as executioner, he delighted to
converse among the trophies of his victory, the dead bodies of men;
but there, where he thought himself in the greatest triumph and
elevation, as afterwards in Golgotha, the place of a skull, did
Christ conquer and subdue him. Conversing among the graves
increased the melancholy and frenzy of the poor possessed
creatures, and so strengthened the hold he had of them by their
bodily distemper, and also made them more formidable to other
people, who generally startle at any thing that stirs among the
tombs.

2. They were exceeding fierce; not
only ungovernable themselves, but mischievous to others,
frightening many, having hurt some; so that no man durst pass
that way. Note, The devil bears malice to mankind, and shows it
by making men spiteful and malicious one to another. Mutual
enmities, where they should be mutual endearments and assistances,
are effects and evidences of Satan's enmity to the whole race; he
makes one man a wolf, a bear, a devil, to another—Homo homini
lupus. Where Satan rules in a man spiritually, by those lusts
that war in the members, pride, envy, malice, revenge, they make
him as unfit for human society, as unworthy of it, and as much an
enemy to the comfort of it, as these poor possessed creatures
were.

3. They bid defiance to Jesus Christ, and
disclaimed all interest in him, v. 29. It is an instance of the power
of God over the devils, that, notwithstanding the mischief they
studied to do by and to these poor creatures, yet
they could not keep them from meeting Jesus Christ, who ordered the
matter so as to meet them. It was his overpowering hand that
dragged these unclean spirits into his presence, which they dreaded
more than any thing else: his chains could hold them, when the
chains that men made for them could not. But being brought before
him, they protested against his jurisdiction, and broke out into a
rage, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God?
Here is,

(1.) One word that the devil spoke
like a saint; he addressed himself to Christ as Jesus the
Son of God; a good word, and at this time, when it was a
truth but in the proving, it was a great word too, what
flesh and blood did not reveal to Peter, ch. xvi. 17. Even the devils know, and
believe, and confess Christ to be the Son of God, and yet
they are devils still, which makes their enmity to Christ so much
the more wicked, and indeed a perfect torment to themselves; for
how can it be otherwise, to oppose one they know to be the Son
of God? Note, It is not knowledge, but love, that distinguishes
saints from devils. He is the first-born of hell, that knows Christ
and yet hates him, and will not be subject to him and his law. We
may remember that not long since the devil made a doubt whether
Christ were the Son of God or not, and would have persuaded
him to question it (ch. iv.
3), but now he readily owns it. Note, Though God's
children may be much disquieted in an hour of temptation, by
Satan's questioning their relation to God as a Father, yet the
Spirit of adoption shall at length clear it up to them so much to
their satisfaction, as to set it even above the devil's
contradiction.

(2.) Two words that he said like a
devil, like himself.

[1.] A word of defiance; What have we to
do with thee? Now, First, It is true that the devils
have nothing to do with Christ as a Saviour, for he took not on
him the nature of the angels that fell, nor did he lay hold on
them (Heb. ii. 16); they
are in no relation to him, they neither have, nor hope for, any
benefit by him. O the depth of this mystery of divine love, that
fallen man hath so much to do with Christ, when fallen
angels have nothing to do with him! Surely here was torment
enough before the time, to be forced to own the excellency that
is in Christ, and yet that he has no interest in him. Note, It
is possible for me to call Jesus the Son of God, and yet
have nothing to do with him. Secondly, It is as true, that
the devils desire not to have any thing to do with Christ as
a Ruler; they hate him, they are filled with enmity against him,
they stand in opposition to him, and are in open rebellion against
his crown and dignity. See whose language they speak, that will
have nothing to do with the gospel of Christ, with his laws
and ordinances, that throw off his yoke, that break his bands in
sunder, and will not have him to reign over them; that
say to the Almighty Jesus, Depart from us: they are of
their father the devil, they do his lusts, and speak his
language. Thirdly, But it is not true, that the devils have
nothing to do with Christ as a Judge, for they have, and
they know it. These devils could not say, What hast thou to do
with us? could not deny that the Son of God is the Judge of
devils; to his judgment they are bound over in chains of darkness,
which they would fain shake off, and shake off the thought of.

[2.] A word of dread and deprecation;
"Art thou come hither to torment us—to cast us out from
these men, and to restrain us from doing the hurt we would do?"
Note, To be turned out, and tied up, from doing mischief, is a
torment to the devil, all whose comfort and satisfaction are man's
misery and destruction. Should not we then count it our heaven to
be doing well, and reckon that our torment, whether within or
without, that hinders us from well-doing? Now must we be tormented
by thee before the time; Note, First, There is a time
in which devils will be more tormented than they are, and they know
it. The great assize at the last day is the time fixed for their
complete torture, in that Tophet which is ordained of old for
the king, for the prince of the devils, and his angels
(Isa. xxx. 33; Matt. xxv.
41); for the judgment of that day they are
reserved, 2 Pet. ii.
4. Those malignant spirits that are, by the divine
permission, prisoners at large, walking to and fro through
the earth (Job i. 7), are
even now in a chain; hitherto shall their power reach, and no
further; they will then be made close prisoners: they have
now some ease; they will then be in torment without ease. This they
here take for granted, and ask not never to be tormented (despair
of relief is the misery of their case), but they beg that they may
not be tormented before the time; for though they knew not
when the day of judgment should be, they knew it should not be yet.
Secondly, The devils have a certain fearful looking for
of that judgment and fiery indignation, upon every approach of
Christ, and every check that is given to their power and rage. The
very sight of Christ and his word of command to come out of the
man, made them thus apprehensive of their torment. Thus the
devils believe, and tremble, Jam.
ii. 19. It is their own enmity to God and man that puts
them upon the rack, and torments them before the time. The
most desperate sinners, whose damnation is sealed, yet cannot quite
harden their hearts against the surprise of fearfulness, when
they see the day approaching.

II. Let us now see what work they made
where they went, when they were turned out of the men
possessed, and that was into a herd of swine, which was a
good way off, v.
30. These Gergesenes, though living on the other side
Jordan, were Jews. What had they to do with swine, which by
the law were unclean, and not to be eaten nor touched? Probably,
lying in the outskirts of the land, there were many Gentiles among
them, to whom this herd of swine belonged: or they kept them
to be sold, or bartered, to the Romans, with whom they had now
great dealings, and who were admirers of swine's flesh. Now
observe,

1. How the devils seized the swine.
Though they were a good way off, and, one would think, out
of danger, yet the devils had an eye upon them, to do them a
mischief: for they go up and down, seeking to devour,
seeking an opportunity; and they seek not long but they find. Now
here,

(1.) They asked leave to enter
into the swine (v.
31); they besought him, with all earnestness,
If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of
swine. Hereby, [1.] They discover their own inclination to do
mischief, and what a pleasure it is to them; those, therefore, are
their children, and resemble them, whose sleep departeth from
them, except they cause some to fall, Prov. iv. 16. "Let us go into the herd of
swine, any where rather than into the place of torment, any
where to do mischief." If they might not be suffered to hurt men in
their bodies, they would hurt them in their goods, and in that too
they intend hurt to their souls, by making Christ a burthen to
them: such malicious devices hath that old subtle serpent! [2.]
They own Christ's power over them; that, without his sufferance and
permission, they could not so much as hurt a swine. This is
comfortable to all the Lord's people, that, though the devil's
power be very great, yet it is limited, and not equal to his malice
(what would become of us, if it were?) especially that it is under
the control of our Lord Jesus, our most faithful, powerful friend
and Saviour; that Satan and his instruments can go no further than
he is pleased to permit; here shall their proud waves be
stayed.

(2.) They had leave. Christ said
unto them, Go (v.
32), as God did to Satan, when he desired leave to
afflict Job. Note, God does often, for wise and holy ends, permit
the efforts of Satan's rage, and suffer him to do the mischief he
would, and even by it serve his own purposes. The devils are not
only Christ's captives, but his vassals; his dominion over them
appears in the harm they do, as well as in the hindrance of them
from doing more. Thus even their wrath is made to praise Christ,
and the remainder of it he does and will restrain. Christ permitted
this, [1.] For the conviction of the Sadducees that were then among
the Jews, who denied the existence of spirits, and would not own
that there were such beings, because they could not see them. Now
Christ would, by this, bring it as near as might be to an ocular
demonstration of the being, multitude, power, and malice, of evil
spirits, that, if they were not hereby convinced, they might be
left inexcusable in their infidelity. We see not the wind, but it
would be absurd to deny it, when we see trees and houses blown down
by it. [2.] For the punishment of the Gadarenes, who perhaps,
though Jews, took a liberty to eat swine's flesh, contrary
to the law: however, their keeping swine bordered upon evil;
and Christ would also show what a hellish crew they were delivered
from, which, if he had permitted it, would soon have choked them,
as they did their swine. The devils, in obedience to
Christ's command, came out of the men, and having permission,
when they were come out, immediately they went into the herd of
swine. See what an industrious enemy Satan is, and how
expeditious; he will lose no time in doing mischief. Observe,

2. Whither they hurried them, when
they had seized them. They were not bid to save their lives,
and, therefore, they were made to run violently down a steep
place into the sea, where they all perished, to the number of
about two thousand, Mark v.
13. Note, The possession which the devil gets is for
destruction. Thus the devil hurries people to sin, hurries them to
that which they have resolved against, and which they know will be
shame and grief to them: with what a force doth the evil spirit
work in the children of disobedience, when by so many
foolish and hurtful lusts they are brought to act in direct
contradiction, not only to religion, but to right reason, and their
interest in this world! Thus, likewise, he hurries them to ruin,
for he is Apollyon and Abaddon, the great destroyer. By his lusts
which men do, they are drowned in destruction and perdition.
This is Satan's will, to swallow up and to devour;
miserable then is the condition of those that are led captive by
him at his will. They are hurried into a worse lake than this,
a lake that burns with fire and brimstone. Observe,

3. What effect this had upon the
owners. The report of it was soon brought them by the
swine-herds, who seemed to be more concerned for the loss of the
swine than any thing else, for they went not to tell what was
befallen to the possessed of the devils, till the swine were
lost, v. 33. Christ
went not into the city, but the news of his being there did,
by which he was willing to feel how their pulse beat, and what
influence it had upon them, and then act accordingly.

Now, (1.) Their curiosity brought them out
to see Jesus. The whole city came out to meet him, that they
might be able to say, they had seen a man who did such wonderful
works. Thus many go out, in profession, to meet Christ for company,
that have no real affection for him, nor desire to know him.

(2.) Their covetousness made them
willing to be rid of him. Instead of inviting him into their
city, or bringing their sick to him to be healed, they desired him
to depart out of their coasts, as if they had borrowed the
words of the devils, What have we to do with thee, Jesus thou
Son of God? And now the devils had what they aimed at in
drowning the swine; they did it, and then made the people
believe that Christ had done it, and so prejudiced them
against him. He seduced our first parents, by possessing them with
hard thoughts of God, and kept the Gadarenes from Christ, by
suggesting that he came into their country to destroy their cattle,
and that he would do more hurt than good; for though he had cured
two men, yet he had drowned two thousand swine. Thus the devil sows
tares in God's field, does mischief in the Christian church, and
then lays the blame upon Christianity, and incenses men against
that. They besought him that he would depart, lest, like Moses in
Egypt, he should proceed to some other plague. Note, There are a
great many who prefer their swine before their Saviour, and so come
short of Christ, and salvation by him. They desire Christ to depart
out of their hearts, and will not suffer his word to have a place
in them, because he and his word will be the destruction of their
brutish lusts—those swine which they give up themselves to feed.
And justly will Christ forsake those that thus are weary of him,
and say to them hereafter, Depart, ye cursed, who now say to
the Almighty, Depart from us.